Heat exchanger or cooler



HEAT EXCHANGER OR COOLER Filed April 2l, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 2l, 1936. A R HEMPHILL 2,028,213

HEAT EXCHANGER OR COOLER Filed April 21, 1933 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES 4PATENT oFFlcE 2,028,213 HEAT EXCHANGER on cooLEn Arthur R. Hemphill, Egg Harbor City, N. J.

Application April 21, 1933, Serial No. 667,167

' a (cl. s2-12s) the upper ones convey a dry gas. 2 and 3 are Objects of the present invention are to increase the eiiiciency of heat transferin a cooling or refrigerating device adapted for air cooling or the cooling of any liquids or gases. passing over the surface of the apparatus; to keep al1 of the frlgerant so that the heat exchanger or cooler is operated with all of the tubes presenting a wet interior surface with the exception of two upper tubes which act as a drier for the refrigerant gas; to prevent short circuiting of wet gas and force it to travel through the upper tubes 'at a comparatively slow velocity; and to Areduce frictional resistance and carry off the gases as liberated from the refrigerant liquid without affecting the general eiiiciency of the heat exchanger or cooler.

Other objects of the invention will appear from or are stated in the following description.

To these and other ends hereinafter stated or appearing, the invention, generally set forth, comprises a cooler for use with a. compressor and with a volatile liquid'refrigerant which includes, in combination, vertical unobstructed headers of vwhich one receives liquid from the compressor through an inlet provided near its base and disv the upward escape of gas fromthe liquid as it is liberated, horizontal tubes communicating at their ends with the headers and from the ends of which gas generated or liberated'in any one of the tubes rises through the headers without passing through the other tubes whereby such tubes are flooded with liquid, and a partition near the top of the header first referred to for directing gas therefrom through tubes located above the liquid level to the other header, whereby the gas is dried in the upper tubes on its way to the compressor. e

The invention also comprises the improvements to be presently described and nally claimed;

In the following descriptionl reference will be made to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and in which y Figure 1 is an elevational view with parts broken away of a heat exchanger or cooler embodying features of the invention, and u Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a modifica- Referring to the accompanying drawings and more particularly to Fig. l, I'indicates a series of horizontal tubes of which the lower ones are substantially flooded with liquid and of which headers communicating with the ends of the tubes and-they are. unobstructed up to and above the liquid level providing a gas space at the top portion of the headers and also providing free paths for the upward escape of gas as liberated through the liquid to the gas space without going through the tubes. 5 and 6 are partitions located in the gasspace of the headers and above the liquid level and directing gas through tubes located above the liquid level to dry it. 1 is an inlet connection from thesource of liquid refrigerant and 8 is an outletto the inlet connection of the compressor. It is not practical to definitely locate the liquid level because it depends upon the duty required of the cooler, or heat exchanger, and it therefore varies, One, but by no means the only, suitable liquid level is indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. Nevertheless there is above the liquid level and in the upper parts of the headers and in the upper tubes a gas space. These conditions are eected and maintained by the location of the partitions at theupper parts of the headers so as to leave the lower parts of the headers unobstructed, and the fact that the lower parts of the headers are unobstructed'permits gas as it is liberated to rise in the headers and to escape from the ends of the tubes into the headers without passing through tubes other than those in which it is liberated; another way to say this is to state that the gas liberated in any tube passes through the ends of the tube and rises through the liquid in the headers. The result of this is that the tubes below the liquid level are substantially ooded with liquid land their inner surfaces are wet, furthermore gas liberated in one tube does not travel through other tubes. In this way the emciency of the apparatus is increased in respect to structures in which the liberated gas is forced to travel through tubes other than those in which it was, liberated where it tends to break up the continuity of the liquid at the inner surface of the y the tube I", the gas is dried, and itis an advantage to supply dry gas to the inlet of the compresser.

The commotion and arrangement of the modification shown in Fig. 2, are as above described except that there are more tubes in the series and at the top two tubes are availed of for drying the gas and but one partition 5a is employed. The arrows in the drawings indicate the escape of the liberated gas from the ends of the respective tubes and its ascent along with gas liberated in the headers in an unobstructed manner to the gas spaces at the .tops of the headers.

It may be remarked that the liquid refrigerant, save as gas is liberated from it, is quiescent in the apparatus and is not subject to forced ow, nor is the liquid pumped through the tubes, and the gas liberated from the quiescent liquid rises freely through and fromlthe liquid and is sucked back to the compressor in a dry state from'above the level of the quiescent'liquid. This insures eiciency of operation.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the. art

to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction and arrangement and matters of mere form without free paths for the upward escape of gas from the 4liquid as it is liberated, horizontal tubes corn-L municating at their ends with the headers and from the ends of which gas generated in any one of the tubes rises through the headers without passing through other tubes whereby such tubes are ilooded with liquid, and a partition near the top of the header rst above referred to for directing gas therefrom in series through tubes located above the liquid level to the other header, whereby the gas lis dried in the upper tubes on its way to the compressor.

2. A cooler for use with a' compressor and with a volatile liquid refrigerant, comprising in combination horizontal tubes o f which the lower ones are ooded with liquid andI of which the upper ones convey gas, headers communicating with the ends of the tubes and unobstructed up to and above the liquid level and providing a gas space at the top portion thereof and also providing free paths for the upward escape of gas as liberated ,through the liquidv to the gas space without going through the tubes, partitions located in the gas space of the headers and above the liquid level and directing gas in series through tubes located above the liquid level' to dry it, and inlet and outlet connections.

3. A cooler for use with a compressor and with a volatile liquid refrigerant, comprising in combnation intercommunicating tubes and headers providing a liquid space and a gas space, the headers being unobstructed throughout the length of the liquid space and providing paths for the free ascent of gas from the ends of the tubes located in the liquid space and from the headers, means located above the liquid level directing the gas in series through tubes arranged in the gas space for dryingvthe gas, and inlet and outlet connections.

ARTHUR R. HEMPHILL. 

